Stay tuned....reports of salmonflies are trickling in.....it's about to get really good on the Upper Madison!
To get some useful knowledge and to expand your fly fishing horizons, be sure to read some of our recent blog posts featuring: The Best Salmonfly Dry Flies for Montana 5 Best Streamers for Fly Fishing in Montana in Spring, 5 Essential Dry Flies for Spring, 9 Great Flies for Large Trout Anywhere in the World, What Do Trout Need And How to Use That to Catch More Fish, Best Not-So-Secret Places to Fish in Montana This Spring, and The Mayfly You Need to Know: Catch More Fish by Understanding Blue Winged Olives.
Flies for the Madison Right Now:
Parachute Adams in sizes 12-18
Royal PMXs in sizes 10-12
Pats Rubberlegs in brown/tan or brown in sizes 8-14
Pheasant Tails in flashback or natural in sizes 10-16
Rainbow warriors in sizes 14-20
Firebead or hot bead SJ wormies in sizes 8-12
Zebra Midges in sizes 16-20
Beadhead PTs in sizes 18-22
Juju beatis in flash or tan in sizes 16-20
The Month Ahead:
Unless you happen to be in a section where a large hatch is occurring, the best way to get into fish right now on the Upper Madison is to fish subsurface. Nymphing big protein flies like stoneflies, worms, sculpins, and large beadheads are the ticket to success right now. Focus on the banks as stonefly nymphs are getting more and more active as water temps warm. Additionally, as flows increase on the Upper Madison the banks are going to be the primary place to find slower water. So...the mix of slow water paired with stonefly nymphs means your focus should be on the banks or other structure. Stonefly nymphs are crawlers so look for places they can crawl and fish near there.
Long Term Fishing Forecast:
Fishing on the Upper Madison near West Yellowstone and down to Ennis should remain solid for long term. Stoneflies, caddis, golden stones, PMDS, and then terrestrials will all provide consistent action until the snow starts to fly in November.